Source Engine

Key Features

* Source features fast, reliable and flexible technology to render computationally intensive game environments. The highest-performing shader-based rendering available to game developers helps you quickly produce even the most complex scenes quickly and efficiently. Source’s renderer utilizes advanced processor technologies such as multi-core and SIMD, as well as the latest GPU features via DirectX, to bring your vision to life in vibrant detail. * Full Range of Special Effects - Including particles, beams, volumetric smoke, sparks, blood and environmental effects like fog and rain. * Material System - Source defines sets of materials that specify what the object is made from and the texture used for that object. A material specifies how an object will fracture when broken, what it will sound like when struck or dragged across another surface, and what that object’s mass and buoyancy are. This system is much more flexible than other texture-only based systems. * Simulated musculature projects character emotions, speech, and body language. * Characters accurately and naturally lip-synch speech in any language. * Valve Hammer Editor, the Source map creation tool, is an intuitive design environment for constructing level architecture (geometry, texturing, lighting); placing and scripting models, entities, and NPCs; and compiling and running game levels. Included is the VMPI tool, which greatly reduces map build time by distributing compilation across multiple PCs. And a lot more.